The Federal Government has renewed its commitment to finishing the incomplete section of the Abuja-Kaduna road before the end of this year.
Despite several previous promises to complete the project, the government has faced delays since the contract's inception on December 20, 2018.
In October 2022, Umar El-Yakub, the then Minister of State for Works and Housing, projected that work on the Kaduna-Abuja highway and Zaria-Kano road would be finished early in 2023. This completion was aimed at easing the difficulties faced by road users.
Furthermore, Babatunde Fashola, the former Minister of Works and Housing, acknowledged in April 2023 that the administration had been unable to meet its initial promise.
He cited significant challenges, such as security issues in 2022 and the need to relocate communities in the Zaria section of the 265km road project.
In a recent meeting with the ministry's directors in Abuja, the current Minister of Works, David Umahi, assured that overcoming contractual hurdles to ensure the project's completion before the end of 2024 is a priority.
"The ministry is ready to conquer all contractual obstacles and ensure delivery of the project for the benefit of Nigerians," he stated.
Umahi, the former governor of Ebonyi State, also mentioned that the contractors had requested a revision in the project's budget, increasing it to N1.3 billion to finance the project adequately.
Umahi said, "We have about 1.7 kilometers left of Abuja-Kaduna in two sections. The ministry has some supervision work to be done tomorrow on that road and we will be advised on the real designs of the two sections.
"Funding is also an issue because it is under the presidential development fund initiative gotten from looted funds. I have had to discuss with Mr president about the importance of the road for all Northerners.
"But I won't be able to go back to him until we re-scope it because the project was N165bn before and a review brought the cost to N655bn but today the contractor is asking for N1.35trillion and the government cannot afford it.
"What they are asking is very wrong. So we are looking at existing sub-grade and see what we can do about it. We are also looking at the first 40km to be constructed by Dangote under the Tax credit scheme to do it on concrete pavement but I am very committed to completing that road this year. No matter what happens, that road will be done this year."
The reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, currently handled by Julius Berger is funded under the Presidential Development fund initiatives and is divided into three sections.
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